Towards an evidence‐informed strategy for communicating lead ammunition risks

Abstract

Lead hunting ammunition is a key source of lead exposure for wildlife and humans who eat wild game. To improve the effectiveness of lead ammunition risk communication, and avoid unintended negative effects from poorly conceived messages, we examined how New York State hunter education instructors view the lead issue. We conducted in-depth interviews with instructors from 5 New York State regions from September 2020 to February 2021, which generated qualitative data on instructors' knowledge, beliefs, and opinions. We classified instructors into 3 groups: (i) concerned advocates, (ii) resistant skeptics, or (iii) ambivalent educators.Concerned advocates had substantial, accurate knowledge of the lead issue, as judged by the investigators, and a strong desire to avoid lead ammunition. Resistant skeptics believed lead ammunition risks are insignificant, exaggerated, or already well-managed, and strongly resisted using nonlead alternatives. Ambivalent educators self-reported limited knowledge of the lead issue or its significance and a general ambivalence, or even apathy, towards switching to nonlead alternatives. Across groups, instructors made clear they were (i) concerned about the higher price and lower availability of nonlead ammunition, (ii) uncertain about the relative performance of lead versus nonlead ammunition, and (iii) strongly opposed to legislation and regulation. Instructors also strongly believed that

Special Section on Lead Ammunition

“…provide some comparative perspectives on approaches to mandating non-lead ammunition for hunting in the United States and Europe, addressing some of the perceptions that hunters have about the issue. examine some of the attitudes and beliefs of Illinois mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) hunters on the effectiveness of lead versus steel shot for dove hunting, identifying some of the barriers to adoption of non-lead ammunition for that group of hunters Balog-Way et al (2023). report on the awareness of the various issues spent lead ammunition poses to wildlife from a sample of volunteer hunter education instructors in New York.…”

“…Ellis et al (2023) examine some of the attitudes and beliefs of Illinois mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura ) hunters on the effectiveness of lead versus steel shot for dove hunting, identifying some of the barriers to adoption of non‐lead ammunition for that group of hunters. Balog‐Way et al (2023) report on the awareness of the various issues spent lead ammunition poses to wildlife from a sample of volunteer hunter education instructors in New York. They subsequently describe the attitudes of this sample group toward the need to present information on the effects of lead ammunition to prospective new hunters and then provide some recommendations on updating hunter education curricula to include such information.…”